What is Wound Healing?
Wound healing is the body's replacement of damaged tissue by living tissue and occurs after an injury, disease, or surgery.
What are the Stages of Wound Healing?
There are three main phases in the process of wound healing. The stages in wound healing are:
- Acute Inflammatory Stage
- Repair
- Remodelling Phase
What Happens in Each Phase of Wound Healing?
Acute Inflammatory Stage
This is the initial phase and occurs immediately after the tissue is damaged. In most cases this stage can last for up to four days. During this phase redness, heat, swelling and pain will occur. When the inflammation stage finishes the repair stage can begin.
Repair Stage
This stage is also known as the proliferation phase. The stage occurs between the 3rd day and the 21st day after the surgery or injury. During this stage new growth of capillaries and connective tissue helps the damaged tissue to become repaired. The new scar tissue is very delicate in this phase.
Remodelling Stage
The remodelling phase starts after three weeks from the injury or surgery. The remodelling stage can last up to 2 years. The exercise and movement of the scar tissue results in it being "remodelled". The wound size is reduced and the scar tissue strength increases. However, scar tissue strength is only 80% as strong as the original tissue.
What Nutrition Helps Wound Healing?
Good nutrition facilitates the wounding healing process. A diet rich in proteins is particularly important. The body also requires additional amounts of carbohydrates.
Additional nutrients that are required include:
- vitamin A,
- vitamin C,
- B vitamins (especially vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin B5 and vitamin B12),
- calcium,
- manganese,
- selenium,
- copper,
- iron,
- essential fatty acids.